Non-contact atomic force microscopy study of atomic manipulation on an insulator surfaceby nanoindentation

Abstract

Experimental results on vertical manipulation on an insulator surface using non-contactatomic force microscopy are presented. Cleaved ionic KCl(100) single crystal isused as an insulator surface. With the nanoindentation method used, the verticalmanipulation of a single atom in an ionic crystal surface is more difficult than in asemiconductor surface. Therefore, in many cases, more than one surface atom ismanipulated while, in rare cases, single-atom manipulation is successfully performed.Lateral manipulation of a vacancy has occasionally succeeded on the KCl(100)surface. We have presumed that the lateral manipulation was induced by pulling.